Top Secret Agents of the Shinsengumi
by Imalefty
Summary: AU fic. Sano goes into the Akabeko, his favorite diner. But then, he witnesses a strange event that changes his life forever. NOT YAOI. Based loosely on MIB. Comments are appreciated! CH. 5 finally up!
1. Everyday thug Sanosuke Sagara

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CHAPTER 1: Everyday thug- Sanosuke Sagara

Sanosuke casually blew some of his spiky brown hair out of his face. He continued strolling down the busy street, not really having anything to do or anywhere to go. A toothpick hung idly out of his mouth, having been forgotten. He walked into his favorite diner, the Akabeko. The warmth of the diner felt good compared to the frosty air outside. It was winter and snowing, and the temperature was dropping by the day. 

"Hey, Miss Tae," Sanosuke greeted the owner. The woman looked up and smiled. 

"Hello, Sano," she said. "You here for lunch, or just to talk?" 

"Actually, I'm here for lunch," Sano replied. Tae led him to a booth where he sat down. She handed him the menu. He opened it and stared for no longer than thirty seconds. He tossed it back on the table again. 

"You've already decided, Sano?" Tae asked, looking up from her magazine. The diner wasn't busy at all: it was, after all, 3:00 in the afternoon. Sano grinned and nodded. He pulled the toothpick from his mouth and flicked it to the table.

"I'll have a cheeseburger, extra everything… and… a side order of fries," Sano said. Tae smiled. 

"Okay. Sounds like a good lunch to me. What would you like to drink?" 

"Coke," Sano said, putting his hands casually behind his head and leaning back into the seat. Tae walked away and into the kitchen. Sano could hear her giving his order to the fry cook in the back. Just then, another man walked into the Akabeko. He was wearing all black with a cigarette hanging from his lips. He was quite tall; at least a head taller than Sano. Wispy bangs hung in his face, which was long and angular. But his most distinguishing feature was his narrow, piercing, wolf-like eyes. They were golden and appeared to be taking in all of his surroundings. He had short, black gloves on and a long, black, pole-like object was hanging from his hip.

"Hello, sir!" Tae called, hurrying out of the kitchen. She grabbed a menu. "One?" The man nodded, following Tae to the booth across from Sano. Tae handed the man the menu and walked away. The man looked at it for a minute, then put it down and took some papers out of his pocket. He started to look at them. Sano tried not to stare, but his curiosity got the better of him and he peered over to see what the man was looking at. It appeared to be some sort of profile for a…

"What do you think you're doing?" the man snapped, crunching the papers together in his hands so that Sano couldn't see what was written. 

"I-I-I… uh… dropped my contacts. I thought maybe they landed on your side…" Sano forged a quick lie. He grinned sheepishly. 

"Ahou," the man grumbled. "Lying doesn't suit you." Sano glared at the man as he turned back to the papers. 

"Hey, are you challenging me?!" Sano exclaimed. "Well, I'd be happy to take your offer!" The man glanced Sano's way, then turned back to his papers. Sano stood up and tore the papers from the man's hands.

"You really do want to fight, huh Rooster Head?" the man asked, standing and snatching the papers back. Sano glared into the man's cold golden eyes. Then, he raised his fist and delivered a powerful blow to the man's face. 

"Well? Do you think I want to fight now?" Sano asked, smiling arrogantly. The man glanced down at Sano's fist, which was still pushing into his cheek. Then, he gave a sinister smile. Sano gasped and jumped back toward the booth. 

"I take that as a yes," the man said. "But really, we shouldn't fight, Rooster. Your lunch is ready." He cocked his head toward Tae, who was standing at the door to the kitchen, mouth hanging open. Sano gave a final glare at the man, then sat down. The man also returned to his seat and continued to read his papers. Tae slowly walked over, then set the plate and glass of Coke on the table in front of Sano. Sano glanced at her and thanked her quietly. Then, he turned to his meal. He took a juicy bite and chewed it, letting the flavor fill his mouth. He swallowed, then continued with his meal. The door to the diner opened and a man with black hair walked into the restaurant. 

"Hello! Table for one?" the man called out. Sano looked him over. His hair was messy and long. It was tied into a high ponytail. He was wearing a long-sleeved tie-dye shirt under a long jacket that hid his hands in the sleeves. His pants were and worn out jeans. They were torn in a variety of different places. His eyes glowed with an odd red light. Tae hurried out, getting the newcomer settled, then taking the other man's order. She walked into the kitchen again. Just then, the golden-eyed man stood and walked to the Red-eyes's table. He pulled a gleaming sword out from his belt. He held it to Red-eyes's neck. 

"Get out of here and don't come back," Gold Eyes snarled. Red-eyes glared back. Sano gasped, then stood and hurried over to the two men.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sano cried, shoving Gold Eyes away from Red-eyes. Red-eyes stood up.

"Stay out of this, Rooster," Gold Eyes muttered, flicking the blade. "That thing is dangerous."

"What?" Sano asked, glancing behind him. "This man? No way! And he's not a 'thing.' You're the dangerous one!" Gold Eyes grabbed onto Sano's shoulder and shoved him away, approaching Red-eyes. 

"Don't be so sure," Gold Eyes growled. Suddenly, Red-eyes lifted a limp sleeve and a slimy tentacle shot out, wrapping its self around Gold Eyes' neck. Sano nearly fainted. Another slimy tentacle slithered out of the other sleeve, working its self around Gold Eyes' stomach. 

"W-wow… nice… special effects…" Sano gulped. Gold Eyes brought his sword crashing down on the tentacle around his neck and sliced it off, causing thick green slime to spray all over the floor. Sano backed up, shaken. But Gold Eyes and Red-eyes didn't seem to notice. Gold Eyes gave a grunt, piercing through the other tentacle with the sword. More green goop slopped lazily onto the floor. It landed with a SPLAT! 

"You're still as good as ever, Wolf," the man with the tentacles growled. Sano glanced at Gold Eyes. He must be 'Wolf.' 

"What's going on?" Sano asked himself as the two men continued their odd duel.

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A/N: New fic for me, and a new way of uploading. It's fun to write, though. Might take a while for the next update, but any comments are appreciated!! Thanks for reading!!


	2. The Business Card

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CHAPTER 2: The Business Card

"What's going on?" Sano asked himself as the two men continued their odd duel.

The man with the tentacles backed away, dripping green slime all over the floor. He charged forward, growing his tentacles back with ease. One lashed out and attacked Wolf, but he easily jumped away. 

"You and the rest of the Demons of the Juppongatana will be returned to the same dark hole that you came from, Shishio!!" Wolf yelled. The man with the tentacles, Shishio, was growling and spitting, backing away even further.

"I won't tell you a thing," Shishio snarled. 

"What's going on?!" Sano cried, very confused. Wolf thrust his sword out and managed to pin a tentacle to the wall. Then, he took out a small gun. 

"Your days of terrorizing the city of Tokyo are over, Shishio," Wolf said. "And you won't talk, so there isn't anything to keep you alive for." He pulled the trigger, sending a small beam shooting toward Shishio's head. Sano didn't see anything happen, but Tentacle man slumped to the floor. His breathing was slow and unsteady. Sano glanced at Wolf, who was pocketing the gun and sheathing his sword. 

"You… what happened?" Sano asked. The taller man glanced at Sano, then grabbed a tentacle and dragged the body into the kitchen. Sano heard Tae's scream and ran in. He saw her standing by the sink, the chef by the grill, and Saito dropping the body into the large vat of hot oil to make French fries with. Wolf pulled out a small bag of what appeared to be jelly beans. 

"Here, eat this," Wolf said. "It's to make sure you don't get sick from the goop from his tentacles." He handed one to Sano, Tae, and the chef. Sano looked at it carefully, but Tae and the chef ate it instantly. Sano shrugged and popped it into his mouth. It was sweet and sugary. 

"How's this supposed to—" Sano started, but suddenly, he blanked out. He blinked a few times, then looked over to a tall man. 

"What happened?" Sano asked, rubbing his head. "Why am I standing here?" He squinted at a tall man standing next to him near a large vat of boiling oil. Something slimy was hanging out. 

"You are here for lunch," the tall man said. "Your food is on the table near the window. Tae is your waitress and the green goop on the floor is discharge from the stove. It needs to be fixed." The tall man began to walk out. 

"Hey, who are you?" Sano yelled after him. The tall man turned around and tossed Sano a small business card that was completely blank. Sano stared at it for a moment. 

"But this is—" Sano started, looking back up to where the man had been standing, but he had already left. Sano turned the small card around in his hand. The other side was also blank. He walked back out into the dining room and sat down to eat his burger. 

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"So? How'd your mission go, Saito-san?" Okita asked, grinning. He stood next to the same man from the diner, the one called Wolf. Okita was obviously younger than Wolf. His face showed no signs of age and the boyish smile that played across his face was not that of a grown man. (A/N: I think Okita was actually Saito's age, but this IS FICTION after all…) He and the other man, Saito, walked into an old alleyway and stood by a dumpster. Saito opened the top.

"I defeated Shishio," Saito said. "But as you know, it's harder to kill him than we expect. Without a doubt, he'll be back." Okita nodded, stepping up onto a small foothold on the dumpster. Then, he swung the other leg into the dumpster its self and grabbed onto the edge to keep his balance. 

"But while he's recovering, his group will be out of commission," Okita said. "That'll leave us enough time to apprehend some of them and make the others easier to capture." He swung the other leg into the dumpster, then let go, falling in. Saito followed suit, landing a few feet below the ground. 

"I should report to Hijikata," Saito said. "I'll meet you in the training room." Okita smiled and waved as he took another tunnel that led away from Saito. Saito continued on through the main tunnel, which was painted silver, then opened a door and walked into a white room with round, black-and-silver chairs along the sides. This was the testing room. He walked casually to the end of the room and opened a concealed door. He walked in.

"Saito…" a voice emerged from the darkness. Saito sighed.

"Why do you leave the lights off all the time?" Saito asked, flicking a switch on the wall. The man at the desk at the far side of the room laughed. The room was painted light blue with white triangles at the bottom where the wall met the floor. 

"It trains my senses," the man said, shrugging. He stood. "How was your mission? Did you…" Saito nodded.

"Yes, Hijikata-dono, I did find Shishio," Saito said. "Your information really is flawless. He arrived at the Akabeko at exactly the time you predicted." Hijikata rubbed his nose.

"Ah, well, when it comes to my job, I take it very seriously," he said. "And what of Shishio?" Saito glanced at the shorter man.

"Fried," Saito said. "Though I'm sure he'll be returning. You can't get rid of HIS kind so easily." Hijikata nodded. 

"I see," he said. "You've done a good job. Anything on the Demons of the Juppongatana?" Saito shook his head. 

"Shishio wouldn't talk," he replied. Hijikata nodded some more.

"Okay," he said. "You may go." Saito turned and walked out, strolling into the silvery main tunnel. He turned down another and walked into another, bigger room where many black and silver metal picnic tables were scattered across the floor. There was a bunch of square doors in the far wall which, if one didn't know any better, could be mistaken for microwaves. Next to the doors was a long poster that had many different foods written on it with codes next to the words. Saito walked over to one of the doors and pressed 'S3.' He watched through the clear door as a bowl of plain hot soba with chopsticks across the bowl materialized behind it. He promptly opened the door and pulled it out, walking to a table and sitting down. The room was empty. He began to eat, thinking hard about the days events. 

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Sano finished his burger, Coke, and fries. He sat back, studying the business card. What could he gain from this? He studied it some more, then put it on the table and grabbed his glass of Coke. He picked up the business card again, his wet fingers leaving marks on the paper. Then, a letter appeared in the wet spot. Sano nearly jumped out of his seat. 

"What is this?" Sano asked, staring at the small card. A fat man passed his table.

"It's a business card, stupid," the fat man grunted, sitting at the table across the way. Sano looked at the man, then back at the card. He slowly wiped the card on the wet Coke glass, watching letters appear. The fat man gave a grunt as he watched Sano play with the card and stare at it in fascination. Sano glanced over at the man, then stood.

"Wait! Your bill!" Tae called, running across the goop on the floor to Sano.

"Put it on my tab," Sano said, walking out and into the snowy streets. He hurried over to a pile of snow and picked up a wet chunk of it, wiping the water onto the card. The rest of the letters were then revealed. He dropped the snow, wiping his hands on his pants. The card read:

Hajime Saito: Third Leader

Shinsengumi Organization

1 Miburo Avenue 

Sano stared at it, then at his watch. It was only 4:30. Sano shrugged. He might as well check it out. There wasn't anything better to do anyway. He walked through the city, reading signs. Eventually, he found the street. There was only one building on it. Sano checked the card, then looked at the number on the building. It was number one. Sano hurried toward the building- it was snowing harder now. He stepped into a large concrete hall with granite floors. He floor in the hall was lined with white triangles. His sneakers made squeaky sounds on the sleek floors. At the end of the hall, there was an elevator. 

"What is this?" Sano asked, pressing the 'up' button, which was, after all, the only button to press. After waiting a minute, the elevator came and he stepped in. He turned to the buttons in the elevator as the door slid shut. Every button was labeled: '3.' Sano stared, slowly pocketing the small business card. There was no 'lobby,' no 'door open' or 'door close.' There wasn't even an 'emergency stop' button! _Every_button was labeled '3.' There was a sign on the wall. Sano read it. It read:

'Press three, then wait. Then, press three and wait. Then, press three and wait. Then, press five.'

"Five?" Sano wondered aloud. Feeling like the entire trip was pointless, Sano decided to press the first 'three.' He felt the elevator rise, then stop. The door opened to reveal a brick wall, startling him. He pressed another three. The elevator doors closed and he felt the elevator fall. The door opened to reveal another brick wall. Sano sweatdropped, then pressed another three. The elevator moved again, opening to yet another brick wall. Sano looked at the sign.

"Five…" Sano muttered, looking at all the threes. "There's gotta be a logical explanation to this. He sighed and sat down. "But if there isn't, I'm stuck in here for the rest of forever! I don't know how to get back down!!" He gave groan and leaned against the wall, staring at the sign on the wall. Stupid business cards…

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A/N: Tell me what you think of this chapter. I need to know if it's good enough otherwise… 

Anyway, thanks for reading!! And as I said on my other fic, I might not update for a while, company is coming… 

REVIEW RESPONSES:

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Anne Miliardo: Okay thank you! Yeah, it'd be surprising if this wasn't an AU fic and Sano was eating a burger and fries!! 

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Kairi7: O_O it's you again!! ^__^ Hey, you like Sano! I didn't know that… I don't think… maybe I read it and forgot… ^-^; It won't mess up my updates and if it does, I'll put it on hold for you. Thanks!!

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Nannon: Thanks. 

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Narakunohime: Right… I'm updating!

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MissBehavin: O_O It's YOU!!! AHHHH!!! ^__^ Heh. Thanks. I got the idea when watching the movie and seeing how Saito's personality is like K's and how Sano and Saito interact the same way K and J do. 

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PraiseDivineMercy: You're right. Saito is a lot like K. That's where I got the idea!! Kenshin will appear soon, I promise!! And so will Aoshi and Misao… and probably many others. 


	3. Do You Believe in Demons?

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**CHAPTER 3: Do You Believe in Demons?**

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He gave groan and leaned against the wall, staring at the sign on the wall. Stupid business cards…

Sano woke up. He stood and stretched. He was still in the elevator but… how long was he asleep? He glanced at the threes again. 

"Stupid," Sano moaned, yawning. He sighed. It seemed like an impossible puzzle. He read the sign again.  

'Press three, then wait. Then, press three and wait. Then, press three and wait. Then, press five.' Just then, and idea came to mind. What if he pressed three _buttons_? Then, that would be pressing three. And he could press five buttons as well! It was worth a shot. He pressed three buttons simultaneously. The door slid closed and the elevator began to drop. Sano waited patiently. Then, the door opened. There was a brick wall. Sano pressed three buttons again. The door closed and Sano was forced into waiting again. He waited for a while, itching to get out of the elevator. Again, the door opened to reveal a brick wall. Sano sighed and pressed three buttons at the same time. The door closed and he waited as the elevator dropped. 

"HURRY UP!!" he yelled angrily. The door opened after a few moments and Sano leaped at the buttons, pressing five of them all at once. The doors slid shut and the elevator began its descent again. Sano waited for close to a minute. Then, the door opened. He was met with a long tunnel with silver walls that was lit with small round lights hanging from the ceiling. Sano gasped and hurried out of the elevator, lest he be stuck in it again. He stared for a moment at the silver walls in awe. Just then, a man turned the corner a few yards in front of Sano. He walked toward him.

"Excuse me, sir!!" Sano yelled, running toward the man. The man looked up. Sano recognized him as the same man as he had seen earlier at the diner. The one who had given him the business card. 

"Rooster head," the man replied, giving him a cold amber gaze. Sano looked around, then said:

"Hey, you sure do have a weird elevator." Sano grinned sheepishly. "Or was it just me?" The man groaned. 

"I'm surprised you got here. Usually people have to be rescued after about an hour of pressing threes," the tall man said, folding his arms across his chest. He stood a few feet away from Sano. 

"Oh, I don't think I ever got your name…" Sano said. "But according to this…" he pulled the card out of his pocket. "You're Hajime Saito." The man stayed silent for a moment, then nodded. 

"Yes, I am," he said. Sano studied him.

"Oh," he said. "Well, it appears I'm at the right place, but… why I'm here exactly I don't know." Saito turned around and began walking down the silver tunnel, his shoes clicking on the smooth concrete floor. 

"HEY!" Sano yelled and ran after the man. He caught up with ease. "I'd really like to know what this place is. It has to be important because the elevator makes it really hard to get in!!" Saito stopped. 

"You're right," Saito said. "You've heard of 'demons,' right?" Sano glared.

"Of course!" he exclaimed. "They're like bad spirit things that do bad things…" Saito nodded.

"Yes… do you believe in them?" 

"Do you really think I'm that stupid? Of course everyone knows that demons aren't for real!! I mean what kind of idiot—" Sano started his rambling, but Saito held up a hand. 

"Shut it, ahou. You have no idea what you're talking about," Saito said. "There are demons everywhere and they can take the form of anything they'd like. However, in this society, a human is the most popular form." Sano stared at him.

"You're a nut case, you know that?" Sano said. "I've really gotta go… if you could just tell me the way out I'll…" he turned to leave. Saito swiftly grabbed him by the collar of his jacket. Sano was jerked back. 

"Demons are real," he said. "You want something to eat?" Sano stared at him, then, unable to resist free food, followed eagerly. They turned down a few empty corridors and finally walked into a large room with lots of black and silver picnic tables were sitting. They walked across the room to a row of small, clear doors that looked a lot like microwaves. Saito stopped in front of them. 

"Soo… why are we looking at these doors?" Sano asked, staring skeptically into the door. He glanced at Saito who pushed a few buttons on the pad. Sano craned his neck to see what was inside the door. Suddenly, a bowl of plain hot soba materialized inside it. Saito took it out and headed for a table.

"What about _my_ meal?!" Sano cried, sweatdropping. Saito looked casually over his shoulder. 

"The menu's over there," he said, pointing. "Just enter the code." Sano glanced at the boxes. 

_They're haunted!!_ He thought, shuddering. _How does it work? Evil black magic! That guy did say that demons exist, after all. _Sano looked up 'pizza' on the menu. Pepperoni pizza was code number P5. Sano pushed the buttons and watched in awe as the pizza materialized behind the door. It was hot and the cheese was gooey. Sano cautiously pulled the delicious looking pizza out of the microwave-like device and hurried over to sit across from Saito. 

"What is this place?" Sano asked. Saito looked up, in the middle of slurping soba. 

"You have to believe in demons first," he said. Sano looked around. 

"Okay, what if I said that I did?" he asked. Saito looked up again. 

"You either do or don't. There's no 'in between,'" he replied, slurping some more noodles into his mouth. Sano sighed. 

"I believe in demons," he said. Saito gave him a slight glare. 

"Do you really?" he asked. Sano let out a growl and smashed his fist into the table. 

"I BELIEVE IN DEMONS!! There! Do you believe me NOW??!!!" Sano cried, baring his teeth and giving an annoyed look. "DO YA?" Saito swallowed his soba, then looked at the furious teen. 

"Yes, I believe you," he said. "But just making sure."  Sano let out a sigh.

"Of what?" Sano asked. 

"That you won't quit like a few others I've seen and that you won't be possessed by accident," Saito replied, lifting the bowl to his lips and drinking the broth. Sano stared for a while. 

"Could you tell me what this place is NOW?!" Sano asked, becoming annoyed. Not like he wasn't before, but now he was even more annoyed. 

"Sure," Saito said. "Finish your pizza." Sano looked down at his forgotten pizza and picked up a gooey slice. He took a large bite out of it. 

"Fo? Wha' i' 'his 'lace?" Sano asked, his mouth full of pizza. Saito looked at him.

"Come again?" asked Saito calmly. Sano swallowed. 

"So? What is this place?" he repeated, taking another large bite out of his pizza. Saito watched him chew, then began his explanation.

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A/N: Mmm……… hope you liked it. It's short, but I just had to get Sano out of the elevator. Thanks to everyone who's reading this (if there's anyone left…) I'll try to update sooner…

**REVIEW RESPONSES:**

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**MissBehavin: **Did you like how Sano wormed his way out of this one? There'll be more to come! Thanks for reading…

**Narakunohime:** Yes, it is. The next chapter will be even more so… ^_^

**Kairi7: **You went to Argentina? How was it? Yes, now that "The Wolves Apart" is finished, I will be paying more attention to my other fics (such as this one.). You are not pathetic. 

Sekihoutai: Thanks. Heh… I'll keep updating. Believe me… 


	4. The Shinsengumi Organization

**CHAPTER 4: The Shinsengumi Organization**

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Saito watched him chew, then began his explanation.

"This is the headquarters of the Shinsengumi Organization; a secret society of agents who fight against demons. The Shinsengumi Organization was formed by Isami Kondou to stop these demons from killing the citizens of Tokyo and the people of Japan. We have ten squads of about 100 people each who patrol the city making sure that all the demons are under control. Sometimes, we are given special missions that we must complete on our own.

The world is filled with many different kinds of demons, but we of the Shinsengumi are after a group of them whose strength far surpasses any other. The group is known as the Juppongatana. The Demons of the Juppongatana are confined to Japan. There are many Demons, but there are ten main ones: Chou Sawagejou, Anji Yuukyuzan, Soujirou Seta, Hennya Kariwa, Iwambo, Kamatari Hanjou, Houji Satojima, Fuji, Usui Uonuma, and Roujin Saidzuchi. The strongest one and the leader of the group is Makoto Shishio. He has a woman; her name is Yumi Komagata.

The Demons have various powers. Chou can change his hands into any type of sword. Usui can hear the quietest of noises, Soujirou is faster than the speed of light, Anji has limitless strength, Fuji can grow to the size of two buildings and so on. However, their most dangerous power is that they can all take the form of or possess a human.

The Shinsengumi has yet to find any of the demons of the Juppongatana and apprehend them, but I have met Shishio at the Akabeko and hurt him badly. It will be a while until he recovers. We are hoping to use this time to capture some of the Juppongatana," Saito said. Sano stayed silent.

"I had no idea," Sano said in wonder. Then, he looked up. "Hey, who's on our side?! The Demons sound really tough and everything! The Shinsengumi can't be fighting alone! You'd all be slaughtered!!"

"You're right," Saito said. "We can't defeat them alone. There are too many. We have two groups of… allies: The Secret Police Force Ishin Shishi, and the Undercover Oniwabanshuu. The Ishin Shishi is a secret group of policemen who also patrol the streets. Their leader is Katsura Kogoro. They, however, aren't completely friendly with us and the only thing that keeps our friendship is our common enemy—the Juppongatana. There is a fighter named Himura Battousai who is the strongest in their group.

The Oniwabanshuu are also not completely friends, but they will stick by the Ishin Shishi. Their leader is Aoshi Shinomori. He is the strongest, but he has weaknesses within his friends. If they should get hurt, we could lose Aoshi's friendship." Sano finished his pizza. He licked his fingers in thought.

"So what you're saying is… that… we are alone in this except for a few 'friends,'" Sano guessed. Saito nodded. Sano digested that, too. Just then, a younger man walked into the cafeteria.

"Oh, hello, Saito-san!" he called, running over.

"Okita," Saito said. Sano looked at him.

"Who are you? A member of the Shinsengumi Organization?" Sano asked. Okita nodded, smiling.

"Yup. Leader of the first squad. Who're you? Friend of Saito-san?" Okita asked. Sano shook his head.

"I don't know why I'm here. Saito here still has to tell me why…" Sano said, glancing Saito's way. Saito sighed.

"He's a recruit. He saw me defeat Shishio, didn't faint, and made it through The Elevator," Saito said. "He could be an addition…" Okita nodded his approval.

"He looks strong enough. You should take him to the testing room," Okita suggested. "I'm going to get a sandwich. PB&J is my favorite!" He rubbed his stomach and trotted happily off to the rows of microwave-like machines. Sano stared after the smaller man.

"He's a kid! He's a leader of a squad?!" Snao hissed to Saito. Saito nodded.

"He's better than I am. He might look like a naïve little boy, but he's really one of the best," Saito said. "He's defeated more demons than any of us. He has yet to fight Shishio, but he has fought every other of the Juppongatana." Sano stared at Okita, who was yelling at the microwave-like machine.

"PB&J!!!" Okita yelled. Saito and Sano sweatdropped.

"Don't mind him," Saito said. "Anyway, maybe I should go and test you. If you fail, I'll have to reject you. You'll just go back to your daily life." Sano looked at the taller man as he stood up.

"Okay," Sano said. "Test me! I'm ready for anything!" He followed Saito down a long silver tunnel and into a white room with round black and silver chairs. Saito motioned for Sano to sit down, so he did. Saito handed Sano a gun.

"I'm going to show you a series of pictures and you'll have to shoot the demon in the picture. They are pictures of Tokyo, so you'll be familiar with the places," Saito said. He turned off the lights and hit a button. A picture of the inside of the Akabeko was shown. There were several people in the picture; there was Tae, a tall, stocky man with a thick beard drinking Coke, a very thin boy eating a giant double cheeseburger sitting with his obese mother, the hairy chef, and a fat construction worker who was pigging out on pancakes. Sano didn't even think twice: he shot at the thin boy with the gun. Saito looked at him skeptically.

"Why did you shoot a kid?" Saito asked, smirking. Sano looked over at him.

"Well," he said. "First, the kid is really skinny… and… well… I don't think that a kid his size could eat a big burger like that. He looks nothing like his mother and… look, his skin's a yellowish color." Saito nodded.

"Actually, you got that correct," Saito said. "Okita snapped that picture right before apprehending the kid." Sano gulped. That wasn't so hard… Saito hit the button again. Now it was a picture of a river with a few people fishing. There was an old man running after a little girl, a man fishing by the river, and a man in a boat. There was also a woman on a picnic blanket with a sandwich halfway to her mouth. Sano thought a moment, then took careful aim and shot the projection of the old man playing with the girl. Saito sighed.

"Why'd you shoot the old geezer?" Saito asked. Sano looked over at him with uncertainty.

"He didn't fit in. And I don't think that he'd run around with that little girl with those pants," Sano said, pointing. "And what I know about old geezers is that they'd be the one fishing or sitting with the lady. They wouldn't naturally chase a little kid." Saito nodded.

"That was also correct. Hijikata shot that picture when he was going to get the old man," Saito said. Just then, Hijikata himself walked out of the concealed door at the far end of the room.

"Who are you testing, Saito?" Hijikata asked, closing the door. Sano stood up.

"I'm Sanosuke Sagara," Sano said to Hijikata. Saito sighed.

"He's pretty good, but he'll need to learn some of the basics," Saito told Hijikata. Hijikata nodded.

"He sounds good enough. He got the old guy. I barely found him when I took that picture," Hijikata said. "Have him decide." Saito nodded and looked at Sano.

"You've passed the tests," Saito said. "But there IS a… catch." Sano looked at him.

"What?"

"You will not exist," Saito said. Sano stared.

"What?" he asked. Had he heard correctly? How could he 'not exist?!'

"You won't be able so socialize with anyone outside of the Shinsengumi, and you will change your name to something else. Do you agree to those terms? I suggest you think long and hard about this. If you have anyone close to you, it will affect both of your lives greatly," Saito said. Sano thought about it. Both of his parents had passed away and he was girlfriend-less. Sano shrugged.

"Yes, I agree," Sano said. Hijikata nodded to Saito.

"I trust that you can help him…" Hijikata said.

"Yes, I can, Hijikata-dono," Saito said, walking out. Sano trailed behind. They walked past the door to the cafeteria where Okita was still yelling at the machines and to the end of the hall where there was a big door. It was locked. Saito hit a few buttons on a control pad to the side of the door and it slowly opened, revealing a large room with many people and even more computers and various screens. Saito walked in and wound his way through the maze of machines. He stopped at a small, clear laptop. Sano also stopped.

"So… what do I do?" Sano asked. Saito hit a few buttons, then turned to Sano.

"Type in your name," Saito ordered. Sano did.

"There," Sano said. "Now what?" Saito looked at the screen.

"Sanosuke Sagara, huh?" Saito asked, looking at Sano. "It was a good name. Say goodbye to it." He hit 'enter.' "Your name will be 'Zanza' now. The only people who will know you as 'Sanosuke' are the members of the Shinsengumi." Sano stared at the screen as his name was slowly deleted.

"Zanza?" Sano asked skeptically. "Why Zanza? Can't you give me something cooler?!" Saito shot him a look.

"You'd rather be called Rooster… or maybe Ahou?" Saito asked. Sano shook his head.

"Fine. So… in public, you'll call me Zanza?" Sano asked. Saito nodded. "Well if I have a nickname, then… what's yours?"

"Wolf," Saito replied.

"Okay," he said. "What about that Okita kid?"

"His name is 'Happy,'" Saito said. Sano tried to hold back a laugh, but didn't manage to.

"Happy!!" Sano sniggered. "Well… if he's the best… then why is his name… Happy?"

"Make the enemies underestimate him," Saito explained, standing and turning to leave the busy room. Just then, another man walked over.

"Who's that, Saito?" the man asked.

"A new recruit, Nagakura," Saito said. "His name's Sanosuke Sagara."

"Code name?"

"Zanza."

"Ah, I see," Nagakura said. He turned to Sano. "Nice to meet you, Zanza. I'm Shinpachi Nagakura, but my code name is Swordheart." Sano nodded politely. Then, Nagakura turned and disappeared into the maze of computers and machines. Saito headed for the exit. Sano followed.

"So… what do we do now?" Sano asked. Saito shrugged.

"I can show you where you'll sleep," he said. Sano nodded and followed down a series of tunnels and to another large door. Saito pushed a few buttons on the keypad. The door slid open and Saito sauntered in, Sano following.

"Hey… what's the password thing?" Sano asked. Saito hardly answered.

"Currently, it's 'Hijikata is the best,'" Saito said simply. The hall they were now walking down was lined with metal doors all donned with keypads. They stopped at a door a little way down the hall.

"This will be your room," Saito said. "Make up a password and don't forget it." He turned around and walked away. Sano stared after him.

"HOW?!" he called. Saito didn't answer. He turned back to the small keypad on the side of the door. He pushed the 'on' button. It read:

**'Hello, Zanza. Please create a password."** Sano looked at it for a while, then typed in: S-A-N-O-S-U-K-E. The keypad began to load.

**'Thank you.'** The pad said. **'Please confirm your password.'** Sano typed it in again, and then the door slid open with a soft metallic sound. He walked into his room. The walls were all white. There was a bed with blue and white sheets and a metal desk. On the wall next to the door, there was a wood chest of drawers that was light in color. There was a closet with a sliding mirror door near the foot of the bed. The door slid closed behind Sano. He sat on his bed, then realized that he didn't have any extra clothes. As if to answer his thoughts, there was a knock at his door. Sano walked over to the door and opened it by pushing a small blue button near the metal door frame.

"Here you go, Sano-san," a cheery voice said. It belonged to Okita. Sano took the pile of neatly folded clothes from Okita's hands. "You'll have to wash them yourself, of course. Wow, nice room." Sano thanked him quietly.

"Um, Okita-san?" Sano asked. "How do I know where everything is? I mean, what if I get lost or something?" Okita looked at him.

"You won't. But in the desk drawer, there should be a map of the premises. Of course, if there isn't, I'll lend you mine. I know the base like the back of my hand!" He gave a small chuckle. "I'm also here to tell you that you'll be accompanying me and some other members to spy on Chou of the Juppongatana." Sano stared.

"What? But… I just…" Sano protested. Okita laughed.

"You won't be in any danger! It's just that none of the Juppongatana knows that you're a member of the Shinsengumi yet. You'll be perfect for helping us!" Okita said. "I'll come and get you right before we leave. Oh, and don't change into your Shinsengumi uniform yet. There is a set of casual clothes that you can change into, though." He waved goodbye and headed for his own room. Sano closed the door by pushing the blue button again. Sano began to sort his clothes. There were five pairs of socks, a pair of boots, a pair of sneakers, five pairs of pants, five pairs of underwear, five shirts, and two pairs of pajamas. There was also a sweatshirt, jacket, and raincoat. Sano hung the coats in the closet and put the boots in as well. The other clothes were neatly placed in a drawer.

"I guess the Shinsengumi really like blue…" Sano commented to himself as he examined the clothes in the drawers. The shirts were different shades of blue as were the jackets and pajamas. The boots were black and the socks and underwear were white. The pants varied from jeans to baggy sweats. They were blue as well. There was only one shirt that was white and one pair of pants that was black. He guessed that those were the 'casual' clothes. It was then that Sano found that he was tired. He checked his watch. It was only 6:30, but the events of the day had taken the energy out of him. He slipped his feet out of the sneakers and, not even bothering to change into the blue pajamas, Sano fell onto his new bed and fell asleep.

**A/N:** Hey… this might be the last update for a really long time again… I'm really busy. Sorry 'bout that. ; I'd be surprised if anyone's still reading this….

Kairi7: Hey again… my last update really was a long time ago… thanks for reviewing… a LONG time ago.

Sekihoutai: not forgotten, just not able to fit into my life. I'll try to post ASAP.

MissBehavin: You finally got the answers to Sano's questions. ………………

Miburo kid: I like your name. Heh… well… I've updated. Hope this satisfies your need to know what happens next. Maybe I'll update the other story soon… in like… a month. Maybe… maybe not.


	5. Mission 1: Chou the sword hand

CHAPTER 5: Mission 1: Chou the Sword Hand 

****

Saito sat in a chair by his desk in his room. He was talking to Okita about the mission that night.

"No," Saito said curtly. "We are NOT entrusting this mission to that ahou." Okita sighed.

"We have to, Saito-san," he said. "Chou will know that we are us! He can recognize almost any member of the Shinsengumi by now."

"When is he supposedly coming out?" Saito asked.

"Eight," Okita replied. "And we should be at the shrine at 8:14 exactly. It'll take him that long to get there." Saito nodded.

"What about the Ishin Shishi or Oniwabanshuu? Are they accompanying us?" Saito asked. Okita shrugged.

"No idea. We think it's probable that they will, but there's no guarantee," Okita said. "But if we should entrust Sano-san with the responsibility of capturing Chou, we'll need as much backup as possible. Isn't that how you feel, Saito-san?" Saito nodded.

"Actually, I feel that we shouldn't even let the moron join us," Saito said. "He'll just get in the way! He's got no training whatsoever! Just forget about him. We can defeat Chou on our own! Chou's ego will never let him turn down a battle with one of us." Okita thought a minute.

"We don't have to let him do all of it. He can have him begin the fight and have someone better jump in before anything happens! What could go wrong?" Saito nodded silently. He hoped that it would work. There would be no better opportunity to apprehend a Demon of the Juppongatana. They couldn't afford to mess this one up.

Sano jerked awake. He was staring at a smooth white ceiling. Where was he? He sat up and everything came back to him. He was at the Shinsengumi base.

_Well now I know that it's not a dream,_ Sano thought, rubbing his head. He yawned and stepped into his sneakers. He checked his watch. Almost eight. He'd slept for a long time. He yawned again. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Sano opened it and was met with Okita.

"Hello, Sano-san," Okita said. He was wearing a long blue jacket with white triangles at the bottom. It was the same as the one Sano had gotten, but smaller. Under it, there was a long sleeved gray shirt and darker gray pants with white stripes at the bottom. He was wearing sneakers with it. His fluffy brown hair was tied into a ponytail, and clipped to his belt was a sword.

"Hello, Okita-san," Sano yawned. "Is it time already?" Okita nodded.

"I came a little early so we could get you your weapons," Okita said. Sano perked up.

"Weapons?" he asked. Okita smiled and beckoned for Sano to follow. They walked out of the living quarters and down the silver tunnel to another room. Okita put in a password and the door opened, revealing a large room. It was also white, but hanging all over the wall were many different swords with many different sizes, shapes, and… colors?

"Why are the swords colored?" Sano asked. Okita grinned.

"Some of them have powers. The normal metal ones are the bare minimum—you use them to get rid of the weakest demons. The metallic yellow ones unleash a little energy—enough to win against the common demons. Usually newbies use those… but…" Okita took down a metallic blue sword and its sheath. "You'll use the third to strongest sword against Chou. We'll need to rely on the sword because you haven't had a speck of training yet. The strength of the sword also depends on the experience of the person wielding it." Sano took the sleek sheath from Okita's outstretched hand. He also took the handle of the smooth, gleaming katana in his other hand. Okita gave him a clip to put the sheath in. Sano took it and clipped it to his belt, then slid the sheath in. He fumbled a little with sheathing the sword. He hadn't ever sheathed a sword before. Okita gave a grin and walked out of the sword room, making sure to close the door behind him. Okita handed Sano a small gun, similar to the one Saito had used on Shishio that day at the Akabeko.

"This is to weaken the demon," Okita explained. "But it isn't very accurate. You'll only want to use it in close range or when the enemy is down." Sano took it and stuck it in his pocket. They headed for the elevator. There, they met up with Saito and a few other members of the Shinsengumi that Sano didn't know. They all boarded the elevator.

"You'll be luring Chou into a fight," Okita explained quietly to Sano in the elevator. Sano nodded, gulping. He didn't know if he was ready to fight a demon.

"What if… I…" Sano started, not wanting to think about it. Okita giggled.

"We'll be hiding around the place to back you up," Okita said. "It will only be one Demon, so you don't have anything to worry about." The elevator stopped. Everyone filed out and into the large concrete hall with granite floors. They walked straight to the door at the other end and Saito opened the door, letting people out.

"Saito, I didn't know you'd be—" Sano started, but Saito gave him an angry glare.

"You'll address me as Wolf, Zanza," Saito snapped. Sano glared back. He didn't have to be so harsh…

"Sorry, WOLF," Sano retorted. He hurried to catch up with Okita.

"Yeah, you have to remember to call us by our code names," Okita whispered, having heard the whole thing. "I'm Happy if you didn't know." As if to prove it, he gave a smile. Sano couldn't help but smile as well. The boy could make anyone happy if he tried.

Meanwhile, atop Mt. Hiei…

"You'd better get going, Chou," a man wrapped in bandages said to a man with tall, blonde hair. "You don't want to keep the Shinsengumi waiting." The man with the broom-like hair smiled.

"Yer right, Mister Shishio," Chou said in a southern accent. "But bein' against the entire Shinsengumi… I think I might need some back up." The bandaged man grinned.

"Don't worry, Chou," he said. "I'll send Anji the Destroyer to help you. Together, you should be fine." He gave a low laugh. "The Shinsengumi took away my old body… I think you two should thank them for me. And be sure to give my WARMEST regards to the leader of the third squad, Wolf…" Chou laughed.

"Any time, Mister Shishio…" Chou said. He turned to leave the room. "I'll be goin' now…" Shishio smiled.

"Wait," he said. "Could you get me dinner on your way? I would like a younger person, though. Their flesh is sweeter." Chou nodded.

"Anythin' else, sir?" Chou asked. Shishio shook his head.

"Don't blow it, Chou," Shishio said. "We need that sword. Not only for your collection, but the message on it. It tells of a gem that we can use to create chaos in Japan."

Sano pulled his jacket tighter around himself as he trudged through the snow. The group stopped at a long flight of stairs.

"Go to the top, Zanza," Saito commanded. "Chou should be there shortly." Sano stared.

"What about you guys?" he asked, shivering.

"Worry about yourself, Ahou," Saito snapped. "I suggest you get a move on. Chou won't hesitate to steal the sacred sword from the shrine so he can add that design to his collection of shapes his hands can take." Sano thought a minute.

"Okay," he said. "But you'd better be there…" He began the long walk up the stairs.

A small house in at the edge of the city…

A small boy was sitting outside a house, playing with the snow.

"Iori!! Come inside!!" a woman's voice called from inside the house. The boy looked up, then continued to play with the snow. Just then, a man with tall, broom-like hair passed the house. He spotted the boy. Just then, another man came out of the house to pick up the child. One of the broom-headed man's hands grew long and thin. It was in the shape of a sword's sheath. He hooked it onto the child's shirt and pulled the child away from his father's reach. The child's father looked in horror.

"My boss likes to eat people…" the man said. "So I think I'll take this child to 'im for dinner." The man gasped.

"NO! NOT IORI!!" he cried. Chou laughed and walked away, the child hanging from his hand. Unbeknownst to any of them, a pair of lavender eyes watched from the shadows.

Sano stood in the freezing cold air, waiting anxiously for his opponent to show. He leaned against the door frame of the shrine.

_Maybe he won't come!!_ Sano thought happily. _Maybe I'll be let off the hook! Maybe I won't have to risk my life for anything! Maybe I'll—_ His thoughts were stopped by a figure in the distance ascending the stairs.

"Oh great," Sano muttered. "Is that him?" The man stepped through the darkness. Sano could only make out his outline. It seemed that he had really tall hair… and a long something coming out of his hand with an object dangling from it. It was just then that Sano figured it out: the long thing WAS the man's hand. Sano made a face.

"Who're you?!" the man with tall hair called from the darkness. Sano stepped down from the shrine, walking slowly toward the man.

"I'm Sa—er… Zanza," Sano stammered. The man laughed.

"So you are," he said. "Well if you don' mind, I'll be goin' into the shrine…" Sano blocked his path.

"You're not going anywhere, Demon!" Sano said. "I'm… er… here to stop you?" Sano sweatdropped. That sounded so corny. The man stopped.

"Ah… yer of the Shinsengumi…" the man said. "Then I'm sure you already know that I'm Chou…" He took his long hand and swung it, flinging the object to a nearby tree. Sano heard the object start to cry. It was a child?! Sano pulled out his sword as gracefully as possible. It only half worked. He pulled it out so that it got slightly stuck halfway out. He had to pull harder to dislodge it.

"You're not as experienced as the rest of 'em, are ya?" Chou asked, changing his sheath hand into a sword. He swung it so it angled toward the ground. "Too bad you'll be facin' me." He gave a grin. Sano narrowed his eyes and gripped the hilt of he sword with both hands. He hadn't used a sword in his entire life, and now when his life depended on it… His thoughts were cut short when Chou ran forward yelling. Sano barely dodged the stab and jumped back cautiously. Chou transformed his other hand into another sword. He ran forward again. Sano raised his sword and knocked the first hand away, then clashing with the other. He pushed with all his might. Chou raised his other arm and delivered a shattering blow to Sano's head. Sano was tossed backward into the snow, leaving a red stain on the powdery white substance. He squeezed his eyes shut.

"Uhh…" Sano moaned, reaching up with his hand and feeling the deep cut on his forehead. He was thankful that the sword's force was cut by the awkward angle of the attack. He opened his eyes to see Chou standing over him, the tip of a blade pointing to Sano's nose. Sano gulped, groping around for his sword that he'd dropped. He found it easily, but Chou knocked the sword out of Sano's palm with his sword.

"Dead," Chou said, slashing toward Sano. He rolled to the side, getting slashed along his ribs. He stood up shakily, feeling warm blood running down his side. Sano was breathing heavily, each breath coming out with a raspy sound. He coughed, kneeling. Chou advanced on him slowly.

_Where are you guys?!_ Sano asked himself as he backed up. _Okita… Saito… where are you…? Anybody… please…_ His vision was blurring before him. He coughed again and collapsed onto his knees. Just then, a redheaded figure jumped in front of him, confronting Chou.

"You will not hurt him anymore, that you won't!" the figure said. And with that, Sano fell face first into the welcoming snow, losing consciousness.

"Wolf-san!! Look out!!" Okita yelled, just noticing the approaching demon.

Saito jumped back, dodging the punch. A big, muscular man with dark brown around his eyes and a bandanna jumped after him, slamming his other fist into Saito's stomach. Saito flew backwards into a tree, coughing blood. The man advanced.

"WOLF-SAN!!" Okita yelled, running over and taking a Hiratsuki stance. He sprang forward with incredible speed, hitting the man with his sword. The man stumbled backwards, grunting. Saito pulled himself up with his sword. He wiped the blood away. Okita jumped back to be next to Saito.

"Thanks," Saito muttered, raising his sword to a Gatotsu position. He glanced around. "Where're the others?" Okita shook his head.

"Anji knocked them all out," Okita said. "He sneaked up on them. That's why we couldn't hear them." Saito nodded.

"He sneaked up on us, too. That's why I didn't notice him… We'll have to check on them and the Ahou when we finish him," Saito said, blinking pain away. "I wonder if the Ishin Shishi are here… we could use their help right now…"

"I don't know, but I think that Zanza will need their help more then we do…" Okita said. He jumped up, attacking with his three-hit Hiratsuki. Anji dodged the first hit and the last. His shoulder was pierced and green goop oozed out. It was like the green stuff from Shishio's tentacles. Okita retreated and Saito charged in with the Gatotsu. He made contact with Anji's other shoulder. Anji stumbled, then brought both fists down on Saito's back. Saito let out a choke of pain and splashed into the snow, on the brink of unconsciousness. Okita gasped.

"H-ap-py…" Saito groaned attempting to stand but failing.

"Wolf-san!! You have to get up!!" Okita yelled. He charged in with a Hiratsuki to Anji's head, but Anji swung a powerful arm right into Okita's side. Okita flew off and smashed into the snow, slid across the ground, rolling a little, then stopping. He didn't move. Saito looked at Okita's limp form lying in the snow from where he was lying. He stood weakly, then ran forward, kicking up snow behind him. He used his last bit of strength to shove his katana into Anji's chest, then let go, leaving the katana sticking out. He fell to the snow a foot away from Anji's feet. Anji gave a groan of pain.

"You're good," he choked. "But I get the last laugh." Saito looked up at him, hardly able to move. Anji pitched forward, falling limp as he fell, and landed right on top of Saito, crushing him.

A young girl in a ninja outfit sprinted up the steps with her grandfather and the parents of the abducted child. She reached the top of the staircase before the other three and stopped to catch her breath.

"HIMURA!" she yelled to a red headed figure who was facing a broom-haired man. "Where are the Shinsengumi?!" The redhead looked her way.

"There's one behind me!!" the redhead called back. "Take care of him!!" He faced the broom head again.

"Chou… a Demon of the Juppongatana…" the girl gasped, staring at the broom headed man. Just then, the older man reached her.

"Misao," he panted to the girl. She looked at him.

"Gramps, what do we do?" Misao asked. The man looked over to the fallen member of the Shinsengumi.

"You'll go find the other members of the Shinsengumi. There must be more of them. I'm sure Himura will take care of Chou. I'll go see to the fallen one," the old man said, galloping across the snowy ground to Sano. Misao nodded and dashed off into the trees. The parents of the captured child just watched in horror.

"Are you awake?" the old man shook the limp Sano.

No answer.

"Hello!!"

Still no answer.

"I guess not…" the man said, feeling for a pulse on Sano's wrist. There was one. With much trouble, the old man lifted Sano into his arms and waddled over to the shrine where he lay him onto the wooden planks.

"So, you're the legendary Battousai," Chou said in his southern drawl. The redhead shook his head.

"No," he said. "I'm Kenshin Himura now. You may call me what you want, but I will never be the Battousai again." The man drew his sword.

"You're here to fight, eh?" Chou asked, waving his sword-like hand. Kenshin shook his head.

"No," he said. "I'm here to save Iori and that's all. But if you won't step aside… then… I'll have to fight you." Chou laughed.

"Battousai turnin' down a fight with a demon? Now that's unheard of!" Chou sniggered. "But if _I _should turn down this fight, Shishio'd kill me!! So I guess there ain't no way to avoid this battle." Kenshin drew his sword.

"I guess there isn't," Kenshin said.

Misao dashed along the powdered path, squinting through the darkness. It was the darkest time of night, and she could hardly see two feet in front of her. It was then that she tripped over a lump in the ground. She fell into the cold, soft snow, the front of her outfit caked with it.

"What was that?" she asked herself as she rolled over and sat up. She dug around in the snow to find what she had tripped over. It was a katana. Misao picked it up, flicking her long braid over her shoulder. She walked a little farther and found what appeared to be a young boy lying in the snow. She rolled him over. He was unconscious but, being a 'trained' member of the Undercover Oniwabanshuu, Misao recognized him instantly. He was Soushi Okita, leader of the first squad of the Shinsengumi. Misao quickly felt for a pulse on his wrist. She felt one and breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she walked over to a large shadow. It was Anji, a Juppongatana Demon. Misao was about to grab Okita and run, but she spotted a hand coming out from under the body.

"Someone… is under him!" she gasped. She thought hard. Misao knew that if she wouldn't stand a chance against a Demon of his caliber… and that if he woke up, he'd kill her without hesitation… but what if the person underneath was still alive? She needed to help. And Anji _was_ knocked out… so… Misao grabbed onto one of his broad shoulders and shoved. The body hardly moved an inch. Misao braced herself and tried again. It moved a little more. Just then, Misao heard coughing behind her. She whirled around. It was Okita.

"Misao-dono," Okita coughed. "Where is Aoshi-san?" Misao stared at Okita.

"I… don't know. But Himura knows something about him and the others that he won't tell me! Hey, could you help me move this guy?" Misao jabbed a finger at Anji. Okita nodded.

"Why?" he asked, looking around. "Oh, have you seen Saito-san anywhere?" Misao shook her head.

"But there is someone under Anji," she said. "Do you have Demoncuffs?" Okita shook his head.

"We weren't planning on having Anji here, only Chou. We thought we could carry him back…" Okita said, placing his hands on Anji's back. "On three, one, two, three!!" They both shoved and slowly, Anji slid off. Saito was lying, soaked in green slop, underneath.

"Okita! It's Saito-san!!" Misao gasped. Okita kneeled and gently shook his friend.

"Saito-san! Please! Wake up!!" Okita said hoarsely. Saito gave a groan. Okita shook him a little harder. "Saito-san!!" Okita shook him some more. "Get up!" Okita looked up at Misao.

"What?" she asked. Okita shook his head.

"It's no use. He won't get up. He's really knocked out cold!" Okita said. Misao pushed Okita aside.

"WAKE UP YOU LAZY BUM!!!" Misao yelled, grabbing onto Saito's collar and pulling him up. She shook him roughly. Okita's eyes bugged out.

"Hey! Be careful!!" Okita said, grabbing Misao's shoulders and steering her away from Saito, who slumped back onto the floor. "He just got crushed by Anji!" Misao fumed some more, then calmed down.

"We have to get back to the other fight," Misao said. "Himura might need us…" Okita gave a small laugh.

"What are you talking about? Himura-san doesn't need our help. He'll finish off Chou in no time!" Okita said, giggling into his hands. "Sorry, Misao-dono. I didn't mean to laugh at you…" Misao stared at him. Just then, a hand clamped on her shoulder. She whirled around, quickly securing her kunai between her fingers. She was about to toss them, but Okita grabbed her arm. The kunai fell to the snow.

"LET GO!!" Misao yelled, trying to pull her arms out of Okita's grip. "I said LET GO!!!"

"Hold on!" Okita said, tightening his hold. "You're not being attacked!!" Misao looked up at her 'attacker' and found that it was Saito, holding his sword and dripping with demon goop.

"Who's this?" he growled. "Weasel?" Okita started giggling again while Misao started fuming.

"I knew you Shinsengumi guys were no good!! No good at all! I should've listened to Aoshi-sama and Gramps!! I should've known that you'd turn on us one day!!!" Misao shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at Saito. "You really are lazy bums!! I'd think that you two could easily defeat Anji!! You're supposed to be so strong! Wolves, they call you! You're more like puppies—" Saito's eyes flashed and he grabbed her, pinning her to a nearby tree. She gave a surprised whimper.

"Idiotic little girl!!" Saito snarled, giving her a warning glare. "You will never understand the Shinsengumi!" He dropped her to the snow without waiting for an answer and turned to pick up his katana. He started walking toward the shrine. Okita looked on after him, then ran to the shocked Misao and gave her his hand.

"Sorry about that," Okita said. "But next time, don't mess with Saito-san's pride…" He pulled her out of the snow. Misao scowled and dusted herself off.

"Humph," was all she said. Okita watched her for a little while, then turned away as well, following Saito's footsteps. Misao followed after him, keeping her distance from both of them.

A/N: Hey, everyone!! Betcha no one's actually reading this: I've been gone too long. I've been completely forgotten. But that's okay. Thanks for reading anyway.

REVIEW RESPONSES:

Tsuneari: Thanks for reviewing!! Glad you've got lots of time!! You're gonna need it!!

Miburo Kid: I don't think it's been a year… has it? And you haven't been offending or anything in any reviews… (I got a review from you apologizing…) All your encouragement has really helped me get updating again (I've been so lazy…).

Kairi7: Hi again. Nah, it's okay. I don't really care that you've been lazy. Me too!!

Shadic the Hedgehog, Author: Never seen you around in my stories… thanks for checking my stuff out!! Kenshin and Sano meet… sort of… in this chapter!!

AND THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO READ AND DIDN'T LEAVE A REVIEW!!


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